Mussini Recommendations

[Snail]

Hi all,

I'm interested in trying out some Mussini oil paints and was wondering if anyone has any favorite colors from their line?

I am trying my hand mainly at portraits at the moment, but would appreciate anyone's favorite colors or recommendations.

I know Jim (Harris) has recommended their transparent/translucent paints. Any favorites there?

Thanks!

[winecountry]

these are some of my fav paints now, and Jim is the one who got me started 2 years ago. I like the Bt Umber( doesn't sink in so bad as others), Bluish Grey, caput mortum, all colors I use for mixing to tone other paints.

[monkhaus]

Just got my selection of Series 1, haven't tried most yet but Burnt Sienna, Bohemian Green Earth are great and worth getting. I like the Atrament Black personally. Jim'll have a whole list for you once he sees this thread.

[gunzorro]

Snail -- Thanks for putting up a thread about Mussini paints. I think this is an outstanding brand that doesn't get enough recognition.

As you will find, the Mussini are wonderful in their consistency -- so smooth for application and blending. Part of its consistency and brilliance is due to a small addition of resin into their binding oils. This is a proven approach, and Mussini has been manufactured this way since the 1880s.

I particularly like Mussini earths, and there, the natural earths stand out. Also -- the brand is famous for its extensive line of Transluscent colors -- any of these is a great choice, whether the brilliant Quinacridone, Phthalo or Oxides.

Here are some suggestions for the lower and mid price range, to make it more attractive to try this brand. These are all personal favorites of mine.

Ivory Black -- my go-to black when I want black that isn't overpowering (when I want opaque or powerful, I use Mars or Carbon).

Titanium White -- one of the whitest in a comparison I did here on WC.

Burnt Sienna Natural -- the yardstick I use for all Burnt Siennas.

Burnt Umber Natural -- a wonderful color, just like Colleen said.

Bohemian Green Earth Natural -- sort of pea soup color, but very useful, semi-opaque with very good tinting power, not like other brand's transparent Terre Verte (green earth).

English Red -- one of my all-time favorite "mars" colors -- a wonderful red synthetic iron oxide that produces gorgeous pinks when tinted with white. Super-strong tinter and very opaque. (Try any of Mussini's PR101 paints, they are all great!)

Any and all of the Transluscent colors (other brands would call these "transparent"). Of special note: the iron oxides feature four choices -- Yellow, Orange, Red and Brown.

Vermilion Tone -- Pyrol red PR255. Need I say more? And only a Series 3.

Caesar Purple or Transluscent Magenta -- wonderful Quinacridone colors.

Yellowish Green Ural -- a mix of Nickel Titanium Yellow and Cobalt Green Light -- can be an alternative to mixing white in certain nature or still life situations.

Madder Root Tone -- PR206, the same as Puro's Avignon Orange. This is an unusual transparent red-brown, great for many things, but especially useful for reddish edge of green leaves, bruises and spots on pears, and many possiblities in portraits. You probably wouldn't think to buy this color unless you saw it or it was recommended. (Not a necessity, but a luxury.)

I didn't even want to recommend cadmiums or cobalts, trying to keep it on a budget. But if you have a few extra dollars, try the Cobalt Turquoise PG50, known elsewhere as Cobalt Bright Turquoise.

[Snail]

Thanks so much, everyone.

I've just placed an order for Nat. Burnt Sienna, Bohemian Green Earth, Nat. Burnt Umber, Vermillion Tone, English Red and Titanium White.

Thanks for the other recommendations, too, which I'll keep in mind for the future. Madder Root Tone looks interesting.

Right now I have a lot of paints in the general area of Venetian Red/English Red/TRO/Burnt Sienna; Alizarin Crimson/Florentine Lake; various Roses/PV19. But much less variety in other areas of the spectrum: like, hardly any blue except French Ultramarine Blue (a single W&N Cobalt and W&N Cerulean, and a Blue Ridge Yves Klein Blue, which is nice); the only green I have is Viridian and Williamsburg's Italian Terre Verte; the only orange I have is a W&N Cadmium Orange; the only violet I have is a W&N Dioxanine (have been thinking about getting a Cobalt Violet). For Yellows I have a few: CY, CYP, CYL, Naples Yellow, a few Yellow Ochres.

So, rather than to keep stockpiling the reds (which seems to be my tendency), I'd like to branch out a bit. Sorry, should have included that in the original post!

Thanks!

[monkhaus]

For Cobalt Violet, try Blue Ridge's. It's lovely and the price is about the best you'll find, I think.

Nice selection, you'll be turning into Jim at this rate.

[Snail]

Many thanks for the Cobalt Violet recommendation!

And yes, you're right. I'm having to fight off urges of doing massive color swatch comparisons!

[monkhaus]

Don't fight the urge. I've begun to do the same. Series per manufacturer tinted with lead white then on to color palettes. Pining them to my walls. Who needs to paint when you can just make color charts all day.

I'd be curious to know your feeling on the Mussini's you get since I'm building my collection of them and besides the Atrament, only have Series 1 earths.

[karenlee]

Hey, go for it--- Mussini is a great treat! I love it! It makes a sparkling surface when painted with a bristle bright!

[Snail]

My Mussini paints arrived yesterday! I've only had the chance to check out a two tubes so far, but the Burnt Sienna is indeed the nicest I've come across. It's quite lovely and really keeps its color nicely when tinted -- the others go a bit grey quickly by comparison, but the Mussini keeps that reddish-brown color very nicely. Just a very pleasing Burnt Sienna. I'm looking forward to trying the others out over the next few days.

[gunzorro]

Great! I'll be looking forward to your impressions!

[sidbledsoe]

Originally Posted by karenlee

Hey, go for it--- Mussini is a great treat! I love it! It makes a sparkling surface when painted with a bristle bright!

I am going to eventually try a few of these, can you actually see the difference in these versus regular oils because of the damar resin in the paints? I know they advertise that the colors literally pop off the canvas.
I would imagine that what you mean is that it is more shiny by "sparkling surface"?
Thanks, Sid

[gunzorro]

Sid -- The transparent colors appear to have great depth, and the opaque ones are a little more rich looking. Both spread and blend very well with any other brands.

[winecountry]

agree with Jim, the only colors I have that have the same qualties are Doaks, and they handle different, Mussini is unique in all the paints I've used, about 12 different brands, not in Jims class but pretty good trial

[sidbledsoe]

I will order a few and check them out!
(I obviously have an addiction and must stop reading about paints here,.. well maybe I will think about it after I get these, maybe not )